A recent study demonstrated a two-fold increase in risk, and researchers found that the disease site (namely ileocecal and ileocolonic involvement) was a specific risk factor, as was duration of disease. The following medications: Post-menopausal estrogen, cholesterol-lowering medicationĪccording to a number of scientific studies, patients with Crohn’s disease are at a significantly increased risk of developing gallstones.The following are some risk factors for gallstone formation: 2,3 After symptom assessment occurs, abdominal ultrasound or x-ray generally confirms diagnosis. Sometimes symptoms can increase in severity when a stone blocks a portion of, or the entire, biliary tract. If shaking and chills occur, this usually indicates a bacterial infection in the gallbladder. Other symptoms include vomiting, tenderness in the area of the gallbladder, and a low-grade fever. Symptoms & DiagnosisĪbout half of all patients with gallstones are asymptomatic, however, you may have heard of, or even had, what many refer to as a gallstone ‘attack,’ an episode of mild to intense pain in the lower or upper right abdomen, which can spread to your right upper back or shoulder blade area. However, the third type of stones, comprised of pure cholesterol, is rare. Sometimes mixed stones are referred to as cholesterol stones, since they are comprised mostly of cholesterol. Mixed stones, the most widespread type of stone, develop from crystalline particles of cholesterol mixed with other bile substances. Pigment stones, comprised primarily of bilirubin, are more common in some populations and parts of the world than in others and occur most frequently among persons who have types of anemia characterized by rapid destruction of red blood cells. 1 Stones form when cholesterol and other elements of the bile are abnormally concentrated or they are in disproportion. Gallstones (cholelithiasis) are the most common gallbladder disorder, and affect about one-fifth of men and one-third of women at some point in their lives. Bile consists of water, cholesterol, fats, bile salts (also called bile acids), and a yellow pigment product known as bilirubin. When the small intestine is empty, bile flows back into the gallbladder for storage. When fat enters the upper portion of the small intestine (duodenum), bile flows from the liver through bile ducts to the duodenum. Its primary function is to store and concentrate bile, an important digestive fluid made by the liver. The gallbladder is a small sac-like organ located below the liver.
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